- Title: TUNISIA: Doctors strike to protest over health sector reforms
- Date: 6th January 2014
- Summary: TUNIS, TUNISIA (JANUARY 6, 2014) (REUTERS) CROWDS GATHERED IN THE MAIN HALL OF MEDICAL UNIVERSITY IN TUNIS FOR SIT-IN TUNISIAN FLAG RAISED ON POSTS, STRIKING MEDICAL WORKERS MILLING ABOUT TUNISIAN FLAG VARIOUS OF STRIKING DOCTOR TALKING TO CROWDS WHO APPLAUD VARIOUS OF CROWD SINGING NATIONAL ANTHEM VARIOUS OF RANIA JABRI, MEMBER OF THE UNION FOR RESIDENT DOCTORS, SPEAKING
- Embargoed: 21st January 2014 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Tunisia
- Country: Tunisia
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA8HYFEOJM7PL99FE456KXZRD4G
- Story Text: Doctors and medical workers in Tunisia have gone on strike as part of a mass sit-in in protest against Health Ministry plans to reform the health sector.
Medical workers say reforms ignore acute issues plaguing the sector and force resident doctors to work at public hospitals for an added three years, which they say infringes their working rights.
Tensions between the ministry and medical professionals have been mounting in recent weeks, with students and medical workers staging a sit-in at the Tunis Faculty of Medicine since late December.
A large crowd of protesters marched to the health ministry building on Friday (January 3) demanding to speak to government officials. Demonstrators sang the national anthem and chanted "get out", before attempting to gain entrance to the government building. The demonstration broke out into mild scuffles after a prominent medical professor, Chokri Kaddour, was assaulted by an unidentified assailant during the protest.
Resident doctors taking part in the general strike gathered at the Faculty of Medicine on Monday (January 6) to denounce the attack on Kaddour.
"Our sit-in will be over only when our requirements are satisfied. Our first and main requirement is the cancellation of the law 38/2013 (controversial law that adds three further years of mandatory work in public service to obtain diploma). The second is the public excuses given on behalf of the Health Ministry to all those in the medical profession and for Professor Chokri Kaddour, who was beaten at the entrance of the Health Ministry," said Rania Jabri, a member of the union for resident doctors.
Protesters condemned what they said were government efforts to force medical professionals into increased working hours.
"Now the ministry and those in charge want to force us to work. I am willing to work, yes, and serve my country whether there is a state of emergency or not, under any conditions, but not when they force us," said resident doctor, Ines Charmiti.
Kaddour, who is the head of department for Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at the Institute for Neurosurgery, remained at the protest after being assaulted. He told Reuters the government was not addressing the chronic issues the sector faced.
"This lie that they're trying to spread: human beings cannot strengthen human beings. Human beings need equipment. It's the most important thing. We can take other examples when you hear of hospitals in France and elsewhere closing. That is the argument. The problem is not in the hospitals, but when we provide a service we should do it right," said Kaddour.
But Tunisian Health Minister Abdellatif Mekki says the reforms were "reasonable and realistic".
"We have to be realistic and I believe that the ministry has presented a formula that can be gradually applied, a formula that is very reasonable. So why is it being rejected?" Mekki told Reuters in a recent interview.
Medical staff at teaching institutions accuse the health minister, who is from the Ennahda party, of launching an early electoral campaign at their expense.
Marwa Mrouki, a resident doctor, has been involved in the strike since late December. Mrouki said medical workers had been called "unpatriotic" for protesting against the bill in question - 38/2013.
"They say that we're not being patriotic. I'm sorry but I remember on January 15 when paramedics were not present at hospitals because they were afraid of being bombed, we took our cars and went to the hospitals and took long night shifts, working for 24, 36, 72 hours. Some people did not go home for over two weeks. And then you tell us that we're not patriotic? It's okay, may God forgive you. That's all," she said.
Resident doctors at the Faculty of Medicine have boycotted selecting their next training destination, which is usually decided twice a year. They have also refused suggestions to continue in their current assignments.
Draft law 38/2013 has been put forward to Tunisia's Constituent Assembly for approval. If passed it would mean medical professionals must study and work for a total of 15 years before receiving their final diploma.
The strike is set to end on Tuesday (January 7) and will see demonstrators march from the university building to the Health Ministry and later the Constituent Assembly. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None